


Silence

by Talpy



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Gyatso thinks about Aang and has feelings, Sad feelings, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:09:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26194672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talpy/pseuds/Talpy
Summary: Gyatso's not used to the silence.
Relationships: Aang & Gyatso (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	Silence

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This fic is born from the prompt "Silence (maximum 2 lines of dialogue" from the Second Polyverse's Explorers Initiative by Landedifandom.net.  
> I'm not a native English speaker, so if sometimes the fic feels weird to you please let me know.  
> I hope you enjoy this little story :)

Gyatso sighs while he leaves his room and starts walking aimlessly. It’s very late in the night and everyone is either sleeping or quietly meditating -except for him, who can’t really manage either.

To keep him company there is only the chirping of the lemurs hidden in the vegetation, but the silence around him neither comforts him nor makes his heart feel more peaceful. One would expect the contrary - a monk should be used to the quietness of meditation- but instead it only seems to make Aang’s absence more obvious. Gyatso had become accustomed to his young student’s vivacious laugh filling his days and now without it everything (even the fruit pies) seems more toned down.

His heart feels a little heavier when he thinks about him. It has been a few weeks since Aang has flown away into the storm and there is still no news of him. They had asked fellow airbenders who were travelling, sent discreet scouting parties, prayed for the Spirits’ assistance, but nothing. It was like he had vanished without trace, leaving behind only an unbearable silence.

After a while he realizes that his feet had taken him above, on the highest tower of the temple. He stops to admire the astonishing view of the temple and the mountains nearby. His gaze scans the horizon, a little part of him hoping to see Appa’s familiar shape appear.

He sighs again. The not knowing has been wearing him to the point that even the younger monks have been worried. Most people are more understanding -everyone knows that Aang and him have a special bond- but other members of the council look at him suspiciously, probably thinking that he made Aang run away to defy their orders. The thought makes his heart flare in rage for a moment. How dare they! How dare they think that he would ever risk the child! How dare they pretend to worry when their unilateral decisions have brought this into reality!

He breathes in and out deeply, trying to let go. He is still angry at the council -and probably always will- but he knows the risk of letting his spirit steep in that kind of sentiment. He gazes at the horizon another time before turning his back to it and he starts going back to his room. His heart is not more peaceful than before, but he feels lingering on wouldn’t help. Maybe the wisest thing should be getting used to his heart’s weariness brought on from this silence.

_ ~~~ _

_ Aang reaches the top of the tower alone. There are other people helping him clean the temple and honoring the dead, but sometimes he feels the need to be by himself. Everything seems still so strange to him and it’s not only the decay brought on from the passing of time. It’s the silence that really gets to him. There are no laughs from his fellow initiates or yelps of someone getting caught on a prank or bisons asking loudly for food. More importantly, he will never hear Gyatso’s kind words ever again. He gazes at the horizon, hoping that his master -his  _ friend _ \- knows that at last he came back home. _


End file.
